She needs the proceeds from the sale down the road to cover what her retirement income doesn't for the assisted living place where she now lives. Her old townhome has been re-carpeted and repainted and is just about in perfect shape. We have a number of interested parties, but haven't yet completed a purchase agreement, for one reason or another. I expect that to be done this week.
There aren't really any serious issues among family members, and my wife's mother is leaving all the negotiations to my wife and I, with the blessings of her two sisters. We're here and we're taking care of all the details, from emptying the house (what a chore that was) to choosing carpet and paint colors (I did that, and it all looks terrific). Our real estate agent is doing a good job, too.
It has still taken far more time and effort than I expected. Lots more than went into selling our own house in California and buying the one here in Minnesota. Those two transactions were done without haggling. Our buyer made a simple full-price offer when we sold, and we did the same when we bought here. We didn't even use a real estate agent when selling our house in California, but had to here, since the seller had one.
When we put the CA house on the market, I set a price that was fair and represented it's actual value. I created a web page for the house, and advertised in the local paper with the URL. I showed the house myself, held the open house myself, and even invited one prospective buyer (a couple) over for a dinner I prepared. They're the ones who ended up with the house. I did all of the necessary fix-up work and disclosed all of the place's flaws (there were many) to all prospective buyers. The couple that bought it didn't like the tub and shower enclosure, so I said, OK, and installed one of their choice during the escrow period. That was about it for issues.
One realtor came by after I'd advertised the house and said, "You'll never be able to sell this dump without a realtor." I replied, "Yah, OK, seeya." One week later, we had three offers at the asking price and the sale closed within 30 days. So much for her advice. We arranged to rent the house for two weeks after closing, so I could load everything into the big UHaul truck I bought used from UHaul and take off for Minnesota. We still exchange Christmas cards with that couple, who are still happy with their little cottage in California.
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